Aircraft



Oct. 2', 1928.

C. S. HALL.

AIRCRAFT- Filed Sept. 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. CHHRLES S HALL ATTORNE Y.

C. S. HALL Ai'RCRAFT Fi'ld Sept; 15, 1926 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m P's- .5 Iv 1 v INVENTOR. CHARLES 6'. HALL A TT ORNE Y.

Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNITED STATES CHARLES S. HALL; OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

AIRCRAFT.

Application med September 15, 1926. Serial No. 135,507.

2 This invention relates to aircraft.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved gascontrol apparatus for lighter than air aircraft.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a lighter than airaircraft having a gas bag therein which operates in conjunction with anovel form of auxiliary gas-container.

Another object of the invention is to pro- 1 vide improved means forcontrolling the buoyancy of an aircraft. k

A further object of the invention is to provide means for shifting thecenter of buoyancy of an aircraft.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a novel means forcontrolling the gas supply in an aircraft.

An additional object of the invention is to provide means forselectively purifying, cooling and heating the gas in an aircraft.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fi 1 is a side elevation of an aircraft embodymg the featpres of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a. section on line '22 of Fig. 1;

-Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showin the details of the,auxiliary gas container;

ig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the auxiliary gas containercollapsed;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal central view showing details ofthe. auxiliary con tainer; v

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view showing details of the auxiliarycontainer and Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing details of a controlmechanism.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, I have shown myinvention as applied to a lighter-than-air aircraft-shown a dirigible10. I

I have shown the aircraft composed of an outer body 11, having aplurality of gas holding compartments 12 therein. These gas holdingcompartments 12 are arranged side by side in the upper portion of thebody while the lower portion is provided with a longitudinally extendingpassageway 13 in which a flexible auxiliary gas container 14 isarranged. This gas container is shown as provided with arigi-d bottomportion 15 on which a flexible member 16 made of fabric or othermaterial is arranged. The auxiliary container preferably extends beneathseveral of the compartments 12.

In order to cause normal collapsing of the auxiliary container whendeflated I may provide flexible members 17 such as ropes which arespaced along theouter'po'rtion of the auxiliary container. Each flexiblemember 17 has its end'portions 18 extended to winding drums 19 whichdrums are normally under spring tension so that the normal tendency isfor the drums to revolve to wind up the flexible members and therebycollapse the auxiliary container.

Each of the compartments 12 is provided with an outlet ipe 20 which hasa check valve 21 therein so t at gas will not pass through the pipe 20until a certain pressure is, reached in thecompartment 12. When thispressure is reached the as passes from the pipe 20 to a lme pipe 20*, tence to the pipe 22, thence to the pipe 23, to the coupling 24 and intothe auxiliary container 14. This will inflate the auxiliary containercausing the cables 17 to unwind from the drums. The pipe 22 has a valve22 therein to control flow therethrough.

As soon as the pressure in the auxiliary container 14 reaches a certainpoint this ressure will act to expand a diaphragm 25 see Fig. 7) causinga contact member 26 to bridge terminals 27 and 28.- If desired insteadof using the terminals 27 and 28 I may employ a'handswitch 29. Theterminal 27 is connected by a lead 30 with a motor 31, and the terminal28 is connected by a lead 32 with the motor 31. The lead 32 includes asuitable source of power, such as the generator 33.

The motor 31 operates a pump or com; pressor 35 which is connected bypipes '36 with the auxiliary compartment 14,- andby pipe 37 with a highpressure'gas container 38. ,The

high pressure gas container 38 is connected by means of pipe 39 withanother high pressure gas container 40. The gas containers 38 and 40 arearranged in compartments on either side of the auxiliary container '14.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that when thepressure ing-the auxiliary container 14 reaches a certaiiipoint themotor 31 will operate to pump gas from the auxiliary container andcompress it in the high pressure storage tanks 38 and 40.

The high pressure container 40 is 0on nected by means of pipes 41 with afitting 42. This fitting 42 is connected to a valve 43, and to a valve44. The valve 44 is in turn connected to a cooling device 45 which isconnected to a valve 46, connected to a fitting 47. This fitting 47 isin turn connected to the valve 43. a

In order to use the cooling device 45, which is operated by means of amotor 48, the valve 43 is closed and the valves 44 and 46 are opened.When the coolin device is not needed, valves 44 and 46 ma %)8 closed andvalve 43 opened. 7 I,

The'fitting47 is connected by means of a pipe 49 with a fitting 50,which is in turn connected to valves-'51 and 52.' The valve 52 isconnected to a gas heater 53 which is connected to a valve 54, thelatter being connected to a fitting 55 which is also connected to thefitting 51.

Itwill thus be heater 53 the operator ,Will need to close the valve 51and open the valves 52 and 54.

The fitting 55 is connected by means of a pipe with a pipe 61 whichpasses beneath an air purifier 62. The pipe 61 passes to a distributingline 63 which communicates through fittings 64 with ,the compartments12. The pipe 61 includes a valve 65.

The pipe 60 is connected by means of a apparent that to use the throughany one'or more of said three first mentioned means.

2. An aircraft having a a body provided with a gas holding compartment,a gas temperature changing device, and a gas purifying device, andmeansto dra'wgas from the compartment and to selectively change thecondition of the gas so drawn from the compartment. v 3. In a 'dirigibleaircraft, a main gas holding compartment, a chamber arrangedlongitudinally of said compartment, anauxiliary gas container in. saidchamber, high pressure storage chambersarranged at each side of saidchamber, means to transfer gas. from said main compartment to saidauxiliary container, and means totransfer gas from the auxiliarycontainer to the high pressure storage chambers.

4. *In a dirigible, a body having a gas hold- 'ing compartment therein,an aux liary gas holding compartment having arigid bottom and havingflexible collapsible sides, a plurality of flexible members extendingover said sides, a pair said drums being connected to said flexiblemembers and normally acting to .collapse said auxiliary compartment.

5. In an aircraft, a body gas holding compartment, an auxiliary gas ofspringactuated drums,

having a main p p 66 wi h h g s p rifi which m y. holding compartment,means to transfer vgas v be of any desired character for purifying thegas passing therethrou h. The pipe 66 is provided with a'valve 6 tocontrol the flow therethrough. The purifier 67 is connected by meansof'an'angle pipe 7 O with the pipe 61. This pi e 70 includes a valve71.-

In order t at the gas may be talren directly from the maincompartments12' and run through thetemperature changing devices 45 and53 and. the gas purifying devices 62 without first ,passing'throughthe-auxiliary compartment 14, .I provide a unip 7 5 which may beoperated by a motor 6. This pump is connected by means of a-pi the pipe20 through a pipe'78 through the one-wayvalve 79 lnto the pipe41,yvhence the gas passes through the fitting 42 and other parts aspreviously described. When the pump 75 isoperated the valve 22vpreviously described, will be closed so that the pump will not draw gasfrom the auxiliary compartment'14. l

From the foregoing instruct-i'on it' will be apparent that by 0 cratingthe valves described in the prece' ing paragraphs, an'operator canreadily change rthe temperature of the gas at will, and also may causeit to a be purified at will.

What I claim is: 1. In an aircraft, a gas holdingcompartment a gasheating means, agas cooling means, and a gas purifying meang, and ameans to remove gas from said compartment and to return it to saidcompartment gas I p partmentto saiddevices and back to sald maincompartment, and other means to cause said gas-to move from said maincompartthe state of the gas, and means to cause said to movedirectly/from said main com-.

ment to said auxiliary compartment then to.

said storage receptacle, thence to said vde l vices, andthen backtothejmain compart' ment.

a plurality of main gas 'holdin m'ents, a single-auxiliary gas-hopartment associated with said main compartments,

iliaryg'a's holding compartment may be partment with the maincompartments, a gas coolingdevice, a'gas heating device, and a gaspurifying device, and'means to return 7. An aim ea having a bodyprovided with.

compartding com-.

means whereby the volume of the auxvaried, means connecting theauxiliary comthe gas from the auxiliarygas holding compartment to themain compartments, and to selectively cause said devices to change thecondition of the gas during its return. 7

8., In an aircraft, a main as holding container, an auxiliary gas hoding container. 2

esaosa and means to transfer gas from said main container to saidauxiliary container when the gas pressure in the main container rises toa certain point, a storage container, a pump, a motor for actuating saidpump, said pump being connected to said auxiliary container, and to saidstorage container, and means whereby when the pressure in the auxiliarycontainer rises to a said point, a circuit to the motor will be closedto cause said pump to pump gas from said auxiliary container to saidstorage container.

9. In an aircraft, a main gas holding compartment, a chamber adjacentsaid compartment, an auxiliary gas container in said chamber, a highpressure storage chamber, means two-transfer gas from said maincompartment to said auxiliary gas container, and means to transfer gasfrom the auxiliary compartment to said hlgh pressure chamber.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

